A day after quarterback Terrelle Pryor said he had left the Ohio State football team, questions
remained about the alleged sign-for-cash scandal that ESPN reported he was involved in, and about
what the future would hold for him as a pro player.

ESPN used an anonymous source - now known to be a former roommate of Pryor's - to allege Pryor
had a deal with local businessman Dennis Talbott to sign various memorabilia to be sold primarily
over the Internet. The source further alleged that Pryor made $20,000 to $40,000 over the past
couple of years in the scheme.

But yesterday Talbott, a part-time sports photographer who has made no secret of his friendship
with Pryor, told
The Dispatch the story was absurd.

"I have never given one dollar, one
dollar, to Terrelle Pryor," Talbott said.

While Pryor had no comment, his attorney Larry James also gave the story little credence. He
said such allegations never came up while Pryor was being interviewed by the NCAA investigators and
Ohio State compliance officers the past couple of weeks.

"I tell my partners all the time, 'Don't fight ghosts.' This is a ghost," James said of the
report.

The amount of cash alleged to have changed hands didn't add up to Johnny Campbell, president of
the Buckeye Room sports memorabilia stores, which often host autograph opportunities for Buckeyes
who have exhausted their eligibility.

"In my opinion, those numbers sound very high for what someone would legitimately pay for such
things," Campbell said.

Pryor had been suspended for the first five games this coming season along with four other
Buckeyes after it was learned in December they had dealt memorabilia to a local tattoo parlor owner
for cash or tattoos, considered improper benefits by the NCAA. The NCAA opened a new investigation
a few weeks ago into Pryor possibly receiving more improper benefits.

Whether the NCAA will look into the serious allegations made in the ESPN story remains to be
seen. If it does, it likely will be without the cooperation of Pryor, who is not obligated to take
part in such inquiries if he gives up his remaining college eligibility.

"I think he is done with those folks," James said.

His chances of being the subject of a supplemental NFL draft are what matter to him. An NFL
spokesman yesterday confirmed there can be a supplemental draft, probably next month, despite the
current lockout, as long as there is a player who applies and the league determines he is
eligible.

If Pryor is deemed eligible - which is not a guarantee, since he voluntarily left Ohio State and
has not been declared ineligible - NFL Network analyst Charles Davis said he doesn't believe Pryor
would be drafted before the fifth round.

"Based on what I've seen, he's not an NFL quarterback," Davis said, citing concerns about
Pryor's accuracy and arm strength.

Teams that use a pick in the supplemental draft must give up a corresponding pick in the regular
draft next year. If Pryor was eligible but not drafted, he could be signed as a free agent.

Columbus agent Jeff Chilcoat said of Pryor, "I've talked with a number of scouts, and nobody is
in love with him. He has a lot of question marks."

Davis said he believes Pryor's off-field issues will cause more concern among NFL teams. It's
not the NCAA violations that are the problem for the pros, but more basic, character-related
questions.

"People are terrified," Davis said. "They want to really examine the kid as a person, because
the stories you hear on the grapevine are not stories that excite you - stories about his
leadership, how his teammates respond to him, how he was handled at Ohio State."

Davis also doesn't feel Pryor would be successful if he switched positions to tight end or wide
receiver, something many have suggested.

"Mentally, he's been a trigger guy since he first picked up a football," Davis said. "All the
sudden he's going to make a great tight end? Now he's going to stick his nose in someone's chest
play in and play out and not touch the ball 90 percent of the game, and be thrilled by that?
Really?"

One small positive note for Pryor, Davis said, is that if he enters the supplemental draft he
has less time to be subjected to NFL scrutiny. For example, he avoids the combine, where players
face the media and are grilled by all 32 teams.

Then again, there is a chance he could head north to the Canadian Football League right away.
James said the Saskatchewan Roughriders' general manager, Brendan Taman, called yesterday to say
the team has the rights to Pryor in the CFL.

James said that he does represent Pryor in that regard, but that he would pass along the
information. Pryor has not signed with an agent.